True to it’s namesake, this iconic brand hearkens the days of prohibition-era rum running when Bill McCoy refused to compromise on quality. Only 3,000 bottles of this micro-batch have been released.

Pedigree

The Real McCoy 10 Year Old Limited Edition Virgin Oak Rum is a robust expression from Barbados created by blending rums aged in both Bourbon and Virgin American Oak casks.

Crafted at Foursquare Distillery, this expression relies on a higher percentage of copper pot still distillate for a richer flavor profile. Two batches are aged separately. The first spends twelve years in used Bourbon barrels. The second, ages ten years in virgin American oak casks.

Carefully blended to balance flavors, the result is bottled at a hardy 92 proof, an example of the authentic style of fine aged rum that made Barbados famous the world over.

Tasting notes

Aromas of ripe banana, toasted butter pecan, big oak and vanilla are accented by a funky fruit. On the palate, brown butter over charred oak brings vanilla, toasted almond and tart dried fruit with a suggestion of burnt sugar. The finish offers long lasting notes of dark buttered toast and plenty of oak.

Quality and Value

The Real McCoy 10 Year Old Limited Edition Virgin Oak Rum appeals to connoisseurs, while remaining accessible to all spirit enthusiasts who appreciate small-batch quality and good value.

Like this:

From one of the oldest rum producers in the world comes one of the finest rare aged rums ever bottled, Mount Gay 1703 Master Select.

Derived from double copper pot and single column still distillates, this spirit is a blend of 10 to 30 year old aged rums. 1703 Master Select is a deliciously complex and concentrated nectar reflecting the life-long mastery of blender Allen Smith. Continue reading

Like this:

The iconic Mount Gay brand of rum from Barbados recently announced a special limited edition aged rum package: Origin Series – The Copper Stills.

From Barbados, the new Mount Gay Origin Series: Volume Two, The Copper Stills Collection features two similarly aged rums created in two different stills.

The Copper Stills: Pot vs. Column

Mount Gay releases their limited edition Origin Series Volume Two: The Copper Stills, featuring a selection of two aged rum expressions from Barbados.

The first was produced in a copper pot still, the traditional method of creating rum that dates back to the brand’s origins in Barbados in 1703. The second expression was created in a modern copper column still, a more efficient method for producing rum from molasses.

Each of the two rums included in this special package exhibits a flavor profile unique to it’s method of distillation. Mount Gay rums achieve their complexity and depth of flavor by combining these types of marques in their popular blends.

Tasting Notes

The Copper Pot Rum leads with aromas of sweet cane, vanilla and funky fruit. On the palate notes of dark chocolate, toasted coconut and almonds lead to butter and oak in the finish.

The Origin Series Collections

“We created the Origin Series collections so that we could give rum drinkers the unique opportunity to experience rum by tasting the pure essence of the distinct distillation methods. We want to share a deeper understanding of how each part of the process can change the taste of rum entirely,” said Mount Gay Master Blender Allen Smith. “Copper Pot is a rich, intricate interpretation of signature Mount Gay aromatics, robust in flavor and body. Copper Column is a delicate and mellow expression of our classic profile.”

Like Volume One of the Origin Series – which featured Virgin Cask and Charred Cask varieties – Volume Two is presented in bespoke packaging of two 375ml bottles, along with a detailed booklet that gives an overview of the creation of the two rums.

The Origin Series Copper Stills collection, at 43% abv, will be available beginning October 2016 at premium liquor and spirits stores across the United States for a suggested retail price of $95.

Falernum is a local specialty in Barbados — a unique combination of ingredients that reflect tropical flavors. Almond, lime, clove and ginger are the most common ingredients, however, varieties with allspice, vanilla, or even strawberries have been seen.

Examples of good aged Bajan rums include Mount Gay Black Barrel or XO, Cockspur VSOR, Doorly’s XO or 12 year old and Real McCoy 12 year old rum. Today, we’ll use Doorly’s 12 year old rum from Foursquare distillery.

This island cocktail recipe uses Taylor’s Velvet Falernum from Barbados, but you could easily find falernum syrups from brands like BG Reynolds and Fee Brothers.

If you can’t find authentic falernum at a store near you, there’s plenty of easy recipes and variations online. You might prefer to make your own falernum with your own favorite ingredients.

Classic Bajan Corn & Oil cocktail

2 parts Doorly’s 12 year old rum

1 part Taylor’s Velvet Falernum

Method: in a rocks glass, add cubed ice. Pour rum and falernum over ice and stir to combine and chill. Garnish with a fresh lime wedge.

After enjoying this delicious libation on island, the classic Bajan Corn & Oil cocktail always takes you right back to Barbados.

Like this:

With a reputation for double aging fine Caribbean rums, the Plantation brand presents the latest expression of this superb blend of five year old rums from Barbados.

After optimal aging in the Caribbean, Plantation’s Barbados 5 Year Old rum is brought to the Ferrand Estate in France where it is further refined for several more months in small Cognac barrels.

Among the most popular expressions of Plantation rum, the Barbados 5 Year Old gets a second barreling in Cognac casks, delivering a fine aged rum at a very good price.

This popular 5 year old Barbados rum presents a medium golden amber color. A smooth and sweet entry leads to rich banana flambé with a hint of vanilla, ripe butter, coconut and dried fruit flavors. Lingering tones of banana fade into a medium dry, slightly spicy finish.

For a relatively young rum, this expression shows unusually rich flavor and complexity, a result of skillful barreling and blending. At about $20 a bottle, Plantation’s Barbados 5 Year Old rum is perfect for sipping neat or on the rocks. It also brings great tropical flavors to premium cocktails.

Cognac Ferrand is one of the world’s premier boutique producers of fine spirits and a leading architect of the artisanal, vintage and double aged rum movement. They produce limited-edition vintage rums from numerous Caribbean territories including Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, Guatemala, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Guadeloupe, Panama and Trinidad.

Cognac Ferrand has offices and production premises at Château de Bonbonnet in Ars, France and its brands are distributed in more than 40 countries. The brands available in the U.S. include the award-winning: Pierre Ferrand Cognac, Citadelle Gin, Mathilde Liqueurs, Plantation Rum, Landy Cognac, Cerbois Armagnac and Daron Calvados.

Like this:

Created at one of the oldest distilleries in the Caribbean, Blue Chair Bay White Rum makes a delightful base for classic and new aged cocktails. Developed by Kenny Chesney and marketed by his Fishbowl Spirits company, the rum has found an eager audience among the “No Shoes Nation” crowd.

Blue Chair Bay’s acclaimed white rum from Barbados is a perfect base for a sultry late summer cocktail, such as the Indian Summer.

Like this:

Ahoy the Duppy Share aged rum. The Westbourne Drinks Company of London has launched a premium expression of blended aged rums from Jamaica and Barbados — The Duppies Share — inspired by the legend of island duppies, the unseen gregarious forces of the Caribbean that conspire to steal a share of fine rum resting in barrels via evaporation.

The Duppy Share features a delightful blend of aged rum from Jamaica and Barbados, imported into the UK by Westbourne Drinks Company.

In whiskey, the loss of spirit to evaporation is known as the angel’s share. Duppies, on the other hand are said to be nefarious and egregious spirits that cause trouble.

The Duppy Share is distilled in the Caribbean by fourth generation rum masters before being shipped to London for bottling. The blend features bold, tropical fruit flavors from a fine three year old Jamaican rum balanced by smooth, oaky notes of an exceptional five year old Bajan rum, matured in American oak bourbon barrels to impart a golden hue and add subtle oaky, caramel flavors.

Designed as a premium rum to be sipped straight or enjoyed on the rocks, this spirit also works well in cocktails that are complimented by a rich, full bodied aged rum with bold notes of tropical fruit, baking spices and buttery caramel.

The producers suggest The Duppy Share is a great rum for creating tropical punch recipes to be enjoyed at social gatherings and rooftop parties during the summer months.

A well designed bottle complements the fine taste of The Duppy Share blend, with an evocative label design inspired by 1930s travel posters.

The Westbourne Drinks Company is a new business founded in London by Rum Adventurer George Frost and start-up guru Jessica Swinfen. Before launching The Duppy Share, Jessica was at Innocent Drinks for almost 10 years. One of the early members of the core team, she helped grow the company into the international brand it is today.

George flirted with the idea of starting a rum distillery in London. Fleetingly. That was before visiting the Caribbean distilleries. That was before meeting the custodians of real rum — the master producers whose skills have been handed down through family-owned businesses for generations. That was before realizing that it’s the American oak barrels in the Caribbean climate that are key to aging fine rum.

At 40% abv, The Duppy Share launched exclusively into Selfridges in 70cl bottles for £37.99.